Charleroi take on the visitors Leuven in the round 1 match of Jupiler Pro League. The match will be played on Saturday, July 29th at Stade du Pays de Charleroi (Charleroi).
Charleroi failed to meet all expectations in the last season. The Zebras are not considered among the local giants. On the contrary, their highest achievements are still considered the vice-championship in 1969 and a couple of cup finals, which they lost both in 1978 and 1993. Moreover, they had to play in the country's 2nd league not long ago. However, upon their return, the Belgians finished relatively high twice, in 2015 and 2020, qualifying for the Europa League. On both occasions, their performance was modest: they won against the first opponent but lost to the next. Last season, however, brought only a 9th-place finish. Nevertheless, Felice Mazzu remains in charge as the coach.
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Leuven are not particularly ambitious. OHL are one of the youngest projects in Belgium. The club was founded in 2002, but it was not a spontaneous endeavor. As is often the case, it resulted from the merger of several local modest teams. This move proved fruitful as they quickly debuted in the Jupiler Pro League in just ten years. They faced relegation twice during their time there. After the second relegation, the club was acquired by the King Power conglomerate – the same international company controlled by Thai millionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, which also owns Leicester City. While they couldn't replicate the fairytale success of the Foxes, they have managed to maintain a stable, albeit not high-level performance, even after Vichai's tragic death. Last season, they finished in the top 10 in the final standings of the Belgian championship.
Charleroi won the last match back in 2020. After that, there were two draws, and then Leuven secured three victories in subsequent encounters. The hosts are considered the favorites in this fixture. However, considering the history of their confrontations, we recommend betting that the guests will avoid defeat in this match.
Prediction for the match: Leuven not to lose (X2).
